Hello, I used to fret over how to get the Canadian driving license after moving here. Turns out it wasn't really much of a hassle.
I'm from Pakistan and have about 20 years of driving experience. You only need 2/3 years for attempting the full G.
I made sure my Pakistani driving license was renewed and had ample expiry date before I left Pakistan. I downloaded the drivers license verification form from the Pakistani embassy website in Toronto. This form is available at almost every country's embassy website (if not available online you can go in person and pick it up). I printed and filled it out, went to Pakistani consulate in Toronto and submitted it. It was a 5 minutes process and I paid 25 or 30 dollars. They told me to pick it up by end of day. Picked it up, what they basically do is go online on the Pakistani MTO and input my drivers license number. Once they see that the license is indeed genuine and the driving experience that I am claiming is legit they sign and stamp it and give it back. This document becomes your official drivers experience letter and is acceptable by Canadian driving authorities. No need to run around in your country of origin explaining you need an experience letter, it can be done here and is quite routine for embassies.
I downloaded an App called G1 Genius and spent 5/6 hours using it and scanned the course book.
The following morning went to drive test, took a token and waited for my turn for about two hours. On my turn at the counter gave their fees and told them I wanted to claim driving experience and give the G1. They asked for my original Pakistani license and the original driving experience letter from the embassy. Gave both, they entered the details in the system, did an eye test and told me to go give my G1 at the end of the room. Went the G1 section which is basically two dozen touch screen computers in a small room with everyone concentrating hard on the screens. The lady at the counter there took my documents and assigned me a computer. The G1 test is in 2 parts of 20 questions each. You can get 4 wrong in each test. Part 1&2 you have to get 16 right each. You cannot get 17 right in 1st part and 15 right in the 2nd part. 16 right each are required to pass. The test is available in many languages. I gave it in English but the options were awesome. Cantonese, Punjabi, Hindi etc.
REMEMBER: You can drive for a couple of months after moving/landing on your home/international license but once you give the G1 you cannot use any other license and are bound by all G1 conditions. I.e you can drive to the drive test center legally in your rental but once you pass the G1 you cannot drive back without a full G driver with 4 years + of experience sitting next to you!
The first part was mostly road signs and the second part was road situations and knowledge of driving laws. It was pretty easy. I got 20/20 right in the first part but 17/20 in the second. Passed! The only reason I got 3 wrong was I didn't read the books properly. I just spent 5 hours on the app and an hour on the book. Read the two books cover to cover twice, practice with the app for a couple of hours and you will surely pass. Most new immigrants that fail are the more experienced overconfident drivers thinking they know it all. They don't study hence fail. Put about 15-20 hours into it, you will pass with flying colors and also increase your knowledge about Canadian driving laws.
As soon as I got done, went to the lady on the counter and she said congratulations you passed and printed out a paper G1 license for me. She said I will get the card in the mail in a couple of weeks, till then the temporary license will be valid.
Also I remember I read somewhere that the drive test people keep your countries license. Not in my case nor with anyone else there. They simply kept it for the duration I was at the counter and gave it back to me once I was in their system for the G1 test.
As soon as I got the G1 I paid my fee and got an appointment for the full G. I had both options I could either give a G2 or a full G. I went for the full G. Although I have been driving all over the world for 20 + years I took the test seriously and took two hours driving classes from an instructor. His lessons were very useful, it's like polishing off your skill and learning exactly what the driving examiner is looking for. I'm glad I took them.
On the test date, I had a friend with a reliable car drive me to the test center. I arrived 45 minutes early and got in line to sign myself in. The lady at the counter told me she just had a cancellation and would I like to test right now? I said sure, I told them my car plate and the parking spot number I was in and went and sat in my car. I made sure to reverse park it, why not make things easier getting started ?
The lady taking the exam came out after 5 minutes. Asked me turn on the right and left signals to see if they were working properly and then the brake lights. Then came and sat in my car. I already had my seat belt on when she sat in. Told me to scan my driving form that she had and that they were no mistakes. She then told me you are giving the highway test and asked me how many times have I been on the highway in the past 3 months. I told her more than 15. All was well and we started the test. It's very important btw that you have experience driving on the highway before you attempt the G. In the car in front of me there was a girl who was attempting her G as well, the examiner came and sat with her and asked the same questions as me presumably but I think she was nervous and mistakenly answered that she had been on the highway 2/3 times in the last 3 months. The examiner failed her right there even before she started the car and left. So make sure you have the required experience and remember to answer correctly. My test started, I had tried to preempt the test by going on line and seeing which routes that particular driving test center usually tested. I did a trail run of those routes before the exam. Funnily enough the examiner went in a completely different direction.
The test lasted about 45 minutes. We did the driving around town, 3 point turn, parallel park and emergency braking and finally the highway test. The highway test was probably the easiest part, all you have to do is get on the highway at a speed between 90-99, merge with the traffic safely, change lanes twice and safely get off. One more time of this and you're done. You're not supposed to talk to the examiner, only say Yes if you understand and No, can you please explain again if you don't understand the instructions he/she is giving.
I drove back with her to the drive test center, she told me I passed and had 0 big mistakes. I had some minor mistakes of which you are allowed some. She congratulated me and asked me to go inside and get my full G license !
Inside I went to line with beaming happy faces and after getting congratulated by the lady behind the counter got a print out of my license which said G. Yeah ! Damn you high insurance rates!
So in a nutshell it was not difficult at all. There is just a process in place and no matter how much of a hotshot driver you think you are, take it seriously and you'll get your Full G in no time.
I got my card license in the mail about 3 weeks after I passed.
I'm from Pakistan and have about 20 years of driving experience. You only need 2/3 years for attempting the full G.
I made sure my Pakistani driving license was renewed and had ample expiry date before I left Pakistan. I downloaded the drivers license verification form from the Pakistani embassy website in Toronto. This form is available at almost every country's embassy website (if not available online you can go in person and pick it up). I printed and filled it out, went to Pakistani consulate in Toronto and submitted it. It was a 5 minutes process and I paid 25 or 30 dollars. They told me to pick it up by end of day. Picked it up, what they basically do is go online on the Pakistani MTO and input my drivers license number. Once they see that the license is indeed genuine and the driving experience that I am claiming is legit they sign and stamp it and give it back. This document becomes your official drivers experience letter and is acceptable by Canadian driving authorities. No need to run around in your country of origin explaining you need an experience letter, it can be done here and is quite routine for embassies.
I downloaded an App called G1 Genius and spent 5/6 hours using it and scanned the course book.
The following morning went to drive test, took a token and waited for my turn for about two hours. On my turn at the counter gave their fees and told them I wanted to claim driving experience and give the G1. They asked for my original Pakistani license and the original driving experience letter from the embassy. Gave both, they entered the details in the system, did an eye test and told me to go give my G1 at the end of the room. Went the G1 section which is basically two dozen touch screen computers in a small room with everyone concentrating hard on the screens. The lady at the counter there took my documents and assigned me a computer. The G1 test is in 2 parts of 20 questions each. You can get 4 wrong in each test. Part 1&2 you have to get 16 right each. You cannot get 17 right in 1st part and 15 right in the 2nd part. 16 right each are required to pass. The test is available in many languages. I gave it in English but the options were awesome. Cantonese, Punjabi, Hindi etc.
REMEMBER: You can drive for a couple of months after moving/landing on your home/international license but once you give the G1 you cannot use any other license and are bound by all G1 conditions. I.e you can drive to the drive test center legally in your rental but once you pass the G1 you cannot drive back without a full G driver with 4 years + of experience sitting next to you!
The first part was mostly road signs and the second part was road situations and knowledge of driving laws. It was pretty easy. I got 20/20 right in the first part but 17/20 in the second. Passed! The only reason I got 3 wrong was I didn't read the books properly. I just spent 5 hours on the app and an hour on the book. Read the two books cover to cover twice, practice with the app for a couple of hours and you will surely pass. Most new immigrants that fail are the more experienced overconfident drivers thinking they know it all. They don't study hence fail. Put about 15-20 hours into it, you will pass with flying colors and also increase your knowledge about Canadian driving laws.
As soon as I got done, went to the lady on the counter and she said congratulations you passed and printed out a paper G1 license for me. She said I will get the card in the mail in a couple of weeks, till then the temporary license will be valid.
Also I remember I read somewhere that the drive test people keep your countries license. Not in my case nor with anyone else there. They simply kept it for the duration I was at the counter and gave it back to me once I was in their system for the G1 test.
As soon as I got the G1 I paid my fee and got an appointment for the full G. I had both options I could either give a G2 or a full G. I went for the full G. Although I have been driving all over the world for 20 + years I took the test seriously and took two hours driving classes from an instructor. His lessons were very useful, it's like polishing off your skill and learning exactly what the driving examiner is looking for. I'm glad I took them.
On the test date, I had a friend with a reliable car drive me to the test center. I arrived 45 minutes early and got in line to sign myself in. The lady at the counter told me she just had a cancellation and would I like to test right now? I said sure, I told them my car plate and the parking spot number I was in and went and sat in my car. I made sure to reverse park it, why not make things easier getting started ?
The lady taking the exam came out after 5 minutes. Asked me turn on the right and left signals to see if they were working properly and then the brake lights. Then came and sat in my car. I already had my seat belt on when she sat in. Told me to scan my driving form that she had and that they were no mistakes. She then told me you are giving the highway test and asked me how many times have I been on the highway in the past 3 months. I told her more than 15. All was well and we started the test. It's very important btw that you have experience driving on the highway before you attempt the G. In the car in front of me there was a girl who was attempting her G as well, the examiner came and sat with her and asked the same questions as me presumably but I think she was nervous and mistakenly answered that she had been on the highway 2/3 times in the last 3 months. The examiner failed her right there even before she started the car and left. So make sure you have the required experience and remember to answer correctly. My test started, I had tried to preempt the test by going on line and seeing which routes that particular driving test center usually tested. I did a trail run of those routes before the exam. Funnily enough the examiner went in a completely different direction.
The test lasted about 45 minutes. We did the driving around town, 3 point turn, parallel park and emergency braking and finally the highway test. The highway test was probably the easiest part, all you have to do is get on the highway at a speed between 90-99, merge with the traffic safely, change lanes twice and safely get off. One more time of this and you're done. You're not supposed to talk to the examiner, only say Yes if you understand and No, can you please explain again if you don't understand the instructions he/she is giving.
I drove back with her to the drive test center, she told me I passed and had 0 big mistakes. I had some minor mistakes of which you are allowed some. She congratulated me and asked me to go inside and get my full G license !
Inside I went to line with beaming happy faces and after getting congratulated by the lady behind the counter got a print out of my license which said G. Yeah !
Damn you high insurance rates!So in a nutshell it was not difficult at all. There is just a process in place and no matter how much of a hotshot driver you think you are, take it seriously and you'll get your Full G in no time.
I got my card license in the mail about 3 weeks after I passed.
